Love Runs Out
by newlegacies
Summary: In which Beca finds her ghost, her game, her stadium... in the most competitive way.


**because i am trash. because i haven't seen pitch perfect 2 yet and the promises of bechloe and jeca are through the roof. also because i have no life or self control and wrote all of this in one sitting.**

 **enjoy this, pitch perfect lovers. have this sexually-intense jeca fic because guess what? i'm officially in love with anna kendrick and skylar astin. this is dedicated for all those who are as unfortunate as i am to not have seen the new movie. love you, aca-bitches xx**

 **ps: listen to _love runs out_ by onerepublic. i don't like most of their songs but _i have been listening to this on repeat jskdfjalksdjf_**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect or _Love Runs Out_ or else this would've most definitely happened in the first movie.**

* * *

Beca is only at the party on obligation, not necessarily enjoying her time there. She plans to stay hidden, covering her face at the bar, ordering wine because she finds that when she's semi-drunk things will probably be more interesting than they are right now.

Her apparently oblivious friend Chloe has decided that Beca is taking her breakup way too hard and also decided that a bar hangout would do the trick. Unfortunately, it's is _not_ doing the trick. Beca just wants to go home and make a mix for all her P!nk breakup songs.

She orders her first drink and watches as two people on the stage belt out _Die Young_ , and the whole crowd is catcalling and cheering as the two start circling each other, and Beca thinks, wow, she has officially gone to the shittiest bar ever, because singing Ke$ha songs at _all_ is a sin to humanity. She would like to get out of this place. Fast.

The attractive bartender tops off her drink with a flirty grin. If she runs out of options later, hooking up with him may not seem so bad.

Suddenly, her redheaded friend pops up next to her. "Beca!" Chloe exclaims, smiling widely. "Come sing, girl! Stop drowning your sorrows with that glass of wine."

"What if I want to?"

"Just come with me," Chloe persuades. Her voice is only a little slurred, which is impressive for her, considering how late it is. "You can trust me, right? I'm a good friend."

"Whoa, wait," Beca argues. "Good friends do not tell their friends that they're going to have fun, shove them in an Ego-Boost push-up bra, and plop them in a bar where people sing Ke$ha."

"I do understand your loathing of Ke$ha," Chloe hums in agreement, "but your point is declared invalid."

"What the hell? How does my point not make sense to you?"

"Just go have fun. I'm gonna go sign you up for karaoke."

Ignoring Beca's protests, her friend slips into the crowd. Beca groans and downs her next glass. The bartender comes around again to her and fills it again. "I have a feeling you'll want more," he says.

"You know me better than my best friend does," Beca sighs.

The bartender smiles and moves on.

After around three more songs, Beca gets to experience Chloe and another guy sing their heart out together. She swallows and stands up as Chloe makes her way down to her.

"You're next," Chloe says before Beca even has time to react.

Right off the bat, the deejay yells, "Beca Mitchell and Jesse Swanson!"

Great. She has to sing with someone else.

There are claps and cheers and shouts as she and the other person make their way up to the stage. The guy - Jesse - is undoubtedly hot, but he's wearing a smirk that sort of ticks Beca off. She grips the given microphone tightly and treads up to the stage.

Jesse raises an eyebrow at her. "Jesse Swanson. Pleasure to meet you."

"Beca Mitchell," she says back. "And the pleasure is all yours."

He laughs, "So, you think your skill can match up to mine?"

And this is the only line it takes to make Beca agree to a competition.

"Are you implying competition?" Beca asks, a grin forming at her lips.

"I may or may not be..."

"Oh it's on, Swanson."

Jesse opens his mouth to say something, but the deejay cuts him off. "Get ready to hear _Love Runs Out_ by OneRepublic."

The crowd cheers wildly as the intro plays, and Jesse tells her, "I'll go first."

"Bring it," she replies.

He nods his head along with the beat and starts singing. Beca is actually in awe at how smoothly his voice flows.

 _I'll be your light, your match, your burning sun,  
I'll be the bright, in black that's makin' you run.  
And we'll feel alright, and we'll feel alright,  
'Cause we'll work it out, yeah, we'll work it out._

He breaks out some dance moves and Beca thinks, God, get your shit together Beca, because this Jesse Swanson is smooth as _fuck_. He starts highfiving the audience and winking at random chicks, whom are all literally under his spell. He continues singing.

 _I'll be doin' this, if you had a doubt,  
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out._

He points at Beca, who takes a deep breath and puts on her most intimidating expression and starts singing.

 _I'll be your ghost, your game, your stadium.  
I'll be your fifty-thousand clapping like one.  
And I feel alright, and I feel alright,  
'Cause I worked it out, yeah, I worked it out.  
_

While Beca sings this verse, she rounds on him and pushes him backward, which brings a roar from the crowd. She brushes off her shoulders and turns back towards the watchers. The entire time, Jesse seems to actually be... smiling?

 _I'll be doin' this, if you had a doubt,  
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out._

Jesse joins in, and suddenly they're circling each other like the people who performed that Ke$ha song, but Beca most definitely does not feel like an idiot when she glares back at Jesse's (gorgeously) searing gaze that actually seems kind of seductive.

 _I got my mind made up, man, I can't let go.  
I'm killing every second 'til it saves my soul.  
(Ooh) I'll be running, (Ooh) I'll be running,  
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out.  
And we'll start a fire, and we'll shut it down,  
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out._

He turns abruptly to the audience, and sings the next verse. He does some footwork, but then looks back toward Beca to shoot her a fiery glance. It subconsciously kind of turns her on, but not really.

Okay, she lied. It turns her on to no end.

 _There's a maniac out in front of me.  
Got an angel on my shoulder, and Mephistopheles.  
But Mama raised me good, Mama raised me right.  
Mama said, "Do what you want, say prayers at night,"  
And I'm saying them, 'cause I'm so devout.  
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out, yeah._

Suddenly, he's next to her, singing and dancing and scaring her because there is an actual chance that he might win. She looks back at him defiantly, joining in with the chorus, biding her time.

 _I got my mind made up, man, I can't let go.  
I'm killing every second 'til it saves my soul.  
(Ooh) I'll be running, (Ooh) I'll be running,  
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out.  
And we'll start a fire, and we'll shut it down,  
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out.  
_

Beca starts walking forward towards him, forcing him back, sending him her most sexy, fierce gaze she can muster. It's a tried and true look that she's used many times, and she can see Jesse swallow when their eyes connect.

She stifles a smirk and makes her voice as thick and smooth as honey. For effect, she tilts Jesse's face towards her by the back of his neck.

Oh, yeah. Beca is definitely going to win this competition.

 _Oh, we all want the same thing.  
Oh, we all run for something.  
Run for God, for fate,  
For love, for hate,  
For gold, for rust,  
For diamonds, for dust._

Jesse immediately snaps out of it and continues the verse, albeit shakily.

 _I'll be your light, your match, your burning sun,  
I'll be the bright, in black that's makin' you run..._

They jump into the chorus together, though no one's eyes ever leave the others face. Jesse's eyes are turning her on like hell. The crowd is absolutely wild, screams nearly deafening. Beca swears that their sexual tension is rolling off them in waves.

 _I got my mind made up, man, I can't let go.  
I'm killing every second 'til it saves my soul.  
(Ooh) I'll be running, (Ooh) I'll be running,  
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out.  
And we'll start a fire, and we'll shut it down,  
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out.  
_

Beca finishes off the song, certain that she is going to win. She just needs one more thing to make it over-the-top...

 _I'll be your light, your match, your burning sun,  
I'll be the bright, in black that's makin' you run.  
And we'll feel alright, and we'll feel alright,  
'Cause we'll work it out, yes, we'll work it out.  
And we'll start a fire, and we'll shut it down,  
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out.  
'Til the love runs out_.

Right after she finishes, Beca pulls Jesse by his white button-down shirt and kisses him. Hard. The crowd is now definitely out of control, screaming at the top of their lungs. Beca feels powerful, especially when she lets him go. He has this stupid grin on his face and it's still attractive, not gonna lie.

But when he pulls her back in for another kiss and yet another kiss, everyone and their grandmother is catcalling and yelling and cheering and hooting. Beca obliges, and they basically make out for five minutes as the people beneath holler their approval. She mentally pushes away an image of Chloe, who is probably grinning smugly below.

Jesse plants one last kiss on her lips and pulls back, studying her. "Wow," he says, grinning widely, "we can see who won that."

"Yes, we can," Beca agrees, not even hiding her pride.

Jesse pulls out a slip of paper with a number written on it. "I was saving this for another girl, but I'm not interested anymore." He grins. "Call me."

Beca can feel another smile rise to her lips as the deejay yells, "Now _that_ was a performance!"

Everyone swarms them as they get off the stage. Chloe raises an eyebrow knowingly, and so smugly that Beca and feel the heat blooming at her cheeks. She tries to hide her smile and the slip of paper in her hand.

"Shut up," Beca snaps, trying to hide her smile.

"Didn't say anything," Chloe sings. This earns her a punch on the arm.


End file.
